Combustion apparatus



Nov. 9, 1943. w AL I 2,334,117

COMBUSTION APPARATUS Filed Aug. 22, 1941 INVENTOR. uax-m/ Mia/LL58 BY AFWYMO/Vfl 5. FELL Patented Nov. 9, 1943 John W. Miller and Raymond E.

Fell, Lansing,

Mich assignors to Motor Wheel Corporation,

Lansing, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 22. 1941, Serial No. 407,850

. 3 Claims. This invention relates to liquid fuel burners of the vaporizing pot type and constitutes an improvement in such burners.

Burners of the type referred to above are adapted to burn liquid fuel in variable quantities to produce a variable heat output. Combustion can be localized at different levels in the burner by increasing or decreasing the flow of fuel into the burner. Air to support combustion is introduced into the burner through a number of air inlet openings in the burner side wall. Usually the openings are spaced apart in vertically separated horizontal rows.

The principal difliculty experienced with burners of this type is in the production of a clean and stable fire at all stages of operation, that is at low, intermediate, or high fire. The employment of partitions between the top and bottom of these burners has efiected marked improvement, the most effective and economical being a single inclined partition. Such a partition has two disadvantages. One of these is that at its upper edge the partition meets the burner side wall in an acute angle forming a pocket below it which interferes somewhat with the proper mixing of the air and oil vapors at certain stages of operation. The other disadvantage is that the inclined partition intersects several rows of air inlet openings, and certain of the openings are therefore so close to the partition that air entering through them impinges upon the partition. This creates a luminous flame and causes the deposit of carbon upon the partition. One remedy for this condition is to eliminate those holes through which the air which impinged on the. partition entered. That reduced the capacity of the burner somewhat.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the inclined partition while maintaining all of the good features of burners of that type.

This object is attained by providing in a burner of the vaporizing pot type a partition having a horizontal upper portion arranged between two horizontal rows of air inlet openings and a lower portion inclining downwardly from the horizontal portion. In this way the aforementioned pocket is eliminated and most of the air inletopenings formerly omitted can be utilized.

Referring now to the drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a burner embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on a smaller scale taken on substantially the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The burner disclosed in a side wall l0, an anti-explosion baiiie l3 and a partition I 4.

The side wall In is preferably formed from sheet metal coiled into frusto-conical. form. Adjacent its upper edge two annular beads are formed, a bead I 5 extending inwardly and a bead I 6 extending outwardly. In the lower part of the bead I6 is a row of secondary air inlet openings l'i.

Below the bead l5 are six horizontal rows of primary air inlet openings l8. The openings iii are equi-distantly spaced in each row except for the elimination of openings at the points marked X in Figure 1. These mark the places where openings normally would fall if the spacing was even.

Above the lowermost row of primary air inlet openings I8 is a small concavity l 9 for a purpose which will appear presently.

The bottom wall I i is dish shaped and is secured to the lower edge of the side wall I 0 by welding. A fuel inlet opening 20 is formed in one side to receive a fuel pipe. Directly below the fuel inlet is a well 2| for collecting fuel during P riods of low fire.

The top wall I2 is an annulus having a large central opening 22 through which vapors and products of combustion may issue. The top wall rests upon the bead IS.

The anti-explosion baille I3 is another annulus havinglegs 23 resting upon the top wall. The baflie I3 is located above the secondary air inlet openings I1 and directs at least a portion of the secondary air toward the opening in the top wall.

The partition I4 is the essence of the invention. It is circular in plan (see Figure 2) and comprises two integrally joined portions 24 and the drawing comprises 25. The portion 24 is horizontal and arranged approximately midway between two rows of primary air inlet openings. Portion 25 is inclined downwardly from portion 24 and terminates just above the lowest row of openings I8. The lower edge of the partition is provided with a ing 26 which seats in the concavity I 9 to support the partition. As will be evident from the drawing the lower edge of the partition is directly above the fuel inlet 20 and the well 2|.

The partition I4 is provided with a large central aperture 21, which extends into the horizontal portion 24 although the greater part of the aperture is located in the inclined portion 25.

It will be noted that the inclined portion 25 is very close to the spots marked X. Thus if air inlet openings were formed at those places, the air entering therethrough would impinge upon a bottom wall I I, a top wall l2,

the partition causing a luminous flame and deposits of carbon upon the partition. Accordingly this portion of the partition are evenly spaced in the usual manner. 7

The construction described above operates at low fire, that is when combustion occurs adjacent the fuel inlet 20 and below the inclined portion 25 of the partition, in a manner the same as a completely inclined partition. At the higher stages of operation however the air entering the openings l8 below the partition in the region opposite the fuel inlet, and the fuel vapors that mix with such air, are enabled to flow smoothly inwardly beneath the horizontal portion of the partition and out through the opening 21, without stagnating or eddying in a pocket beneath the partition. Furthermore there are several more air inlet openings, evenly spaced, adjacent the high side of the partition than there would be with a wholly inclined partition, thus increasing the efficiency and capacity of the burner.

The scope of the invention is indicated in. the appended claims.

We claim:

1'. A burner of the vaporizing pot type comprising a tubular side wall having a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced apart air inlet openings therein, a bottom wall for the burner, means for supplying liquid fuel to the burner, and a centrally apertured partition within the burner dividing the latter into upper and lower compartments, said partition comprising a horizontal portion located intermediate the air inlet openings and extending partially across the burner, and an inclined portion extending the rest of the way across the burner and inclining downwardly from the horizontal portion, said horizontal portion of the partition being spaced from all of the air inlet openings sufllciently to substantially prevent impingement thereugalnst' of air entering the burner through the air inlet openings.

2. A burner of the character described in claim 1 wherein the aperture in the partition extends into both the horizontal portion and the inclined portion of the partition.

3. A burner of the vaporizing pot type comprising a tubular side wall having a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced apart air inlet openings therein, a bottom wall for the burner, means for supplying liquid fuel to the burner, and a centrally apertured partition within the burner dividing the latter into upper and lower compartments, said partition comprising a horizontal portion extending partially across the burner and an inclined portion extending the rest of the way across the'burner and inclining downwardly from the horizontal portion, said partition being spaced from the air inlet openings sufficiently to substantially prevent impingement on the partition of airentering the burner through the air inlet openings.

JOHN 'W. -MILLER. RAYMOND E. FELL. 

